Release Decoder

Decode and analyze Claude Code release notes to understand what changed between versions.

Capabilities

1. Fetch Latest Release Info - Get the current installed version and latest available version
2. Compare Versions - Show what changed between two specific versions
3. Decode Release Notes - Parse and summarize changelog entries
4. Highlight Important Changes - Identify breaking changes, new features, and bug fixes

Workflow

Step 1: Check Current Version

Run the following to get version info:

echo "Current: $(claude --version)" && echo "Latest: $(npm view @anthropic-ai/claude-code version)"

Step 2: Fetch Release Notes

To get release notes, fetch the Claude Code changelog from GitHub:

curl -s "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/claude-code/main/CHANGELOG.md" | head -500

Alternatively, use WebFetch to get the changelog:

• URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/claude-code/main/CHANGELOG.md
• Prompt: "Extract release notes for version X.X.X and summarize the changes"

Step 3: Decode and Categorize Changes

When presenting release notes, categorize changes into:

1. Breaking Changes - Changes that may affect existing workflows
2. New Features - New capabilities added
3. Improvements - Enhancements to existing features
4. Bug Fixes - Issues that were resolved
5. Security - Security-related updates
6. Deprecations - Features being phased out

Step 4: Present Summary

Format the decoded release as:

## Claude Code vX.X.X Release Summary

### Breaking Changes
- [List any breaking changes]

### New Features
- [List new features with brief descriptions]

### Improvements
- [List improvements]

### Bug Fixes
- [List bug fixes]

### Upgrade Recommendation
[Provide recommendation: "Safe to upgrade", "Review breaking changes first", etc.]

Version Comparison

When comparing versions (e.g., "What changed from 2.0.60 to 2.0.71"):

1. Fetch the full changelog
2. Extract entries between the two versions
3. Aggregate all changes by category
4. Highlight the most significant updates
5. Note any cumulative breaking changes

Quick Commands

• Check if update available: Compare installed vs latest npm version
• Decode latest: Fetch and decode the most recent release entry
• Full changelog: Get complete changelog for deep analysis